ZCZC
BSS-03
ETHNIC-INCOME-GENERATION (with picture)
Alternative income sources for ethnic minority people stressed
RAJSHAHI, Jan 9, 2020 (BSS) – Experts at a discussion unanimously mentioned that alternative income sources for the ethnic minority people are very effective for freeing them from poverty and hunger.
They categorically viewed that the ethnic community people in the region suffer a lot from absence of regular works because their ancestral practice of selling labour in agricultural fields remains in only three months in a year.
They came up with the observation while addressing the closing and certificate-giving ceremony of a 15-day sewing training course at Masinda village under Tanore Upazila in the district yesterday.
Some twenty ethnic minority youths both male and female took part in the course.
Agriculture Sustainable and Socio-economic Development Organization (ASSEDO) and Tradecraft Exchange jointly organized the course in association with ‘Fighting Forced Labour with Adivasi and Dalit Communities in South Asia (MUKTEE) Project’ and European Union.
Tanore Upazila Chairman Lutfor Haider Rashid and Youth Development Officer Md Sadiquzzaman addressed the meeting as chief and special guests respectively with ASSEDO Executive Director Rabiul Alam in the chair.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Shamimul Islam, Upazila Fisheries Officer Shahadul Islam and ASSEDO Field Coordinator Mahbub Jaman also spoke on the occasion.
Lutfor Haider said alternative income sources for the ethnic minority people can be the crucial means of ensuring their food security round the year side by side with debarring them from various unemployment related social crimes including drug addiction.
Rabiul Alam told the meeting that around 4,000 ethnic minority people including 2,000 women have been engaged in various income-generating activities in 50 villages of Tanore in Rajshahi and Nachole Upazilas in Chapainawabganj districts with the MUKTEE Project intervention.
A total of 1000 people from 2000 households are being brought under need-based training on various trades and vocations like electrics, mobile, mechanic, sewing, tailoring, computer operating, beautification, driving, carpentry and building construction in phases.
Islam said the project is aimed to address the systemic and structural vulnerabilities of marginalized agricultural communities for eliminating the menace of child labour.
BSS/AH/MR/AU/11:30 hrs